Love Sick
by NEPatriot97
Summary: Annabeth's life is in a tough spot. Percy's been shot with a love arrow, and is completely and utterly in love with her, and Chiron's sent her on a dangerous quest that could mean death. Of course, Annabeth can handle it- right?
1. Prolouge

**Disclaimer** – I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

**PROLOUGE **

Aphrodite looked down on the happenings between Percy and Annabeth and sighed.

"Will they ever just get on with it?" she asked her companion, Eros, a young man with golden hair and remarkably large muscles.

"Who cares, mother? Really, you have a thousand other things to tend to. Must you mope about them every second?"

"I don't _mope_, Eros. I _daintily_ complain."

"Whatever."

She pressed her lips together, and looked back down through her opera glasses. They were sitting on a picnic blanket on the beach, staring out into the ocean. He said something to her, and she sent him a sharp look. She replied with a cutting remark, and Percy's face changed from curiosity, to hurt, to confusion, to anger. Percy said something angrily, and Annabeth got up and stormed off.

"It's just so boring. They obviously like each other, but they don't do anything about it. It's like a dog chasing its tail."

"Yes mother, it's horrible. What are you going to do about it."

Aphrodite frowned, deep in thought. Then her face brightened.

"Oh, I have a brilliant idea! What if you shoot one of them-"

"No! You know what happened last time! It's not going to repeat itself."

"But-"

"No!"

Her face suddenly changed, transforming into one of a lioness'. She roared mightily, blowing Eros' perfect locks back. He didn't even blink.

"Really, mother, I'm not changing my mind. I won't let what happened last time happen again!"

"Oh, but that was so silly. Neraudris was a foolish girl- she didn't know how to hold onto her men. And don't even get me started on Pereus…"

"No, Mother," Eros said with a tone of finality. He turned away from his mother, folding his arms across his chest and glaring out at the sunset.

Aphrodite scowled at his back, and something glinted in the corner of her eye. It was Eros' golden arrow, lying abandoned several feet away from its master. Keeping one eye on her son, she carefully pulled out a special diamond studded arrow and knocked it into the bow…


	2. Hormones?

**Disclaimer –** I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

_Gosh, it is such a relief to start a new story! With my other story, Annabeth's Point of View, I have to take every thing from the book (not every thing of course), but with this one, I can free write! Don't worry, I'll continue my other one. Except, this one isn't kicking off like the other one did… Hmm… Whatever. : D Oh, yeah, thank you gab4eva89, for that suggestion, and all the people that reviewed!_

**HORMONES…? **

I stomped from the beach to the woods, and as soon as the shadows hid me, I started to run. The ground rolled beneath my feet like an ocean, my strong muscles pumping. My heart pounded in my head until it was the only thing I could hear. I ran until all my anger at Percy was gone, and then kept going.

A root came up out of nowhere, tripping me. My head hit the ground hard, and sharp pain circulated through my body. Leaves tangled in my hair as I lay face up, staring at the canopy of leaves over me. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was a boy looking down at me, his mouth moving.

When I woke up, I was in a soft bed with a high ceiling above me. Out of the windows at the far side of the room, I could see a miles of strawberry fields lit by moon light .Turning away, I saw Percy sitting next to me, dozing off. His shaggy black hair fell just so over his closed eyelids and his lips were open slightly. My heart started beating faster. Had he been watching me sleep? Oh my gods, he had!

I sat up suddenly, and my world lurched. Ignoring it, I swung my feet out of bed and stumbled to the porch. The wood was cool under my feet. I was alone. A breeze from the north kissed my face, playing with my hair. I closed my eyes.

There was a noise from inside the infirmary. I looked back. Percy had woken up, and seeing I was gone, had jumped up, pushing his chair back. Then he spotted me standing on the porch. I couldn't see his face, but I could see his shoulders slump in relief. He hurried to join me.

"Annabeth! You're awake! Oh gods, it's midnight, though," he said, looking out the window, and standing up. "Chiron will be dead asleep. Oh, well. He wakes up at five." Percy chuckled and winked at me, exactly like Apollo. I was surprised. Since when had Percy been picking up tips from Apollo? I thought Apollo hated him. Something here was wrong.

"Uh…"

"Okay, I'm sorry about what I said yesterday."

"Oh, it's fine."

"Still… Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay, well… I'm sure Chiron won't mind if you back to your cabin. Come on." Percy reached for my hand. I snatched it away and glared at him. Percy wasn't being himself, I wasn't going to feed into it. I stalked past him off the porch and started down the path to the cabins.

I didn't know if Percy was following me. Just before I was out of sight, I glanced back. He was still standing on the porch, watching me. His dark form was lit by the moon, a certain sadness lingering about him.

Something hitched in my throat, and I quickly turned away. As I made my way to the cabin, my thoughts raced. Earlier today, Percy hadn't been acting like this. Had my fall scared him? Why was he acting like this? It couldn't be hormones, could it? They didn't act this quickly.

Letting myself into my cabin, my bed called to me. I fell into its grasp gladly. As I slipped into sleep my thoughts raced. Maybe Chiron would know what was wrong with Percy…


	3. Betrayal

Disclaimer – I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

**BETRAYAL **

Chiron stomped his hooves, the sound echoing against the marble floor and ceiling. We fell silent, giving Chiron our attention. The smell of breakfast wafted through the dining hall, but we fought the desire to dig in.

"Campers, I have a very exciting announcement. As you know, we have a small welcome back party to the campers who went on quests. Caleb, from Apollo's cabin, has contacted us and is returning now. He shall be back in a week's time. When he returns, instead of having a party, we shall have a dance. Alex is still on his quest, and we have no news of how it is going. Until then, enjoy your breakfast."

Every table in the mess hall broke into excited chatter. A dance! Percy grinned at me from his table, and the message was obvious. I shrugged, and he nodded solemnly.

"Are you going to go with Percy, Annabeth?" a girl from Aphrodite's cabin yelled at me, and the table exploded into giggles. "'Cause if you aren't, I will," she finished, loud enough the whole camp heard her. My face turned red, and I glared at her. She smiled at me sweetly. Percy looked horrified.

Disgusted, I stood up and gave my plate to the nymphs.

Once I was out of the mess hall, I started toward the lake. Behind me, the mess hall erupted in laughter. Was I going to go to the dance with Percy? _Laughter. _I didn't exactly want him to go with the Aphrodite girl. _Laughter_. But he was acting really weird lately. Did I want to go with him? _Laughter. _

I sat down next to the water, twirling a finger through the shallows. A new dock sat a few yards from me, looking inviting. Quickly, I took off my socks and shoes and ran down the length of the dock. The jump was exhilarating, but short lived. Water engulfed me as I sunk a few feet. I kicked and surfaced. Letting my body take over, I started the breast stroke. Quickly, I reached the opposite side and started on the way back. Soon, though, my arms grew tired, and I was stuck treading water in a middle of the lake.

Suddenly, a slimy hand grabbed my ankle. Before I could scream, it had dragged me down with surprising strength into the depths of the lake. I kicked with all might, thrashing. My lungs felt like they were about to burst. With a final burst of strength, I kick out and the hand released. I shot up, breaking the surface.

By the time I reached the shore, I was shaking and my whole body ached. What _was _that thing?

Nymphs were known to inhabit that lake, but no nymph is that hostile. They wouldn't attack without warning.

I stumbled, streaming water, down the path.

The campers were leaving the mess hall, on their way to the first activity of the day. The people closest to me gave me strange looks, but I pushed through them. I tripped over someone's leg and sprawled to the ground. Percy and Grover spotted me and rushed over. I sat up a little. Percy tried to take me in his arms, but I pulled away. I stood up and stumbled toward the Big House.

"Chiron!" I yelled when I cleared the hill and the Big House came into sight. "Chiron!"

He came around from the back porch, a light smile on his face. But when he saw me, dripping wet and scared, it fell off his face.

"Annabeth, what on earth happened?"

"Something's in the lake. Something bad."

"Come in, child. Tell me what happened."

He ushered me into the Big House, handing me a blanket and starting a fire. I wrapped the blanket around me.

"What happened, child?"

I told him about my experience in the lake.

Chiron pursed his lips. "Yes, well. I'll discuss this with Mr. D. You should go back to your cabin and get dried off."

"That's it? I nearly drown and all you say is _get dried off_? You can't be serious!" I got up, and dropped the blanket on the couch.

He looked at me sternly. "Sit down, Annabeth." I sat. Chiron sighed and rubbed his beard. "I was afraid this would happen."

"What?"

His cool gaze settled on me with a startling clarity. I drew back, shivering in my wet clothes. "You have to promise me you won't speak of this to anyone. Annabeth. Promise me."

Shakily, I promised. After a moment, I asked, "Chiron… What was that thing?"

Chiron stares past me at something I couldn't see. "I believe it was a water nymph," he said thoughtfully. I opened my mouth to protest my disbelief, but he cut me off. " I'm trusting you with this information, child. This is between you and me. Am I right in trusting you?"

"Yes, of course."

He nodded. "Good, good. Now, go get dry. I'll excuse from first activity to collect yourself."

"Thank you, Chiron." I stood up and started toward the door. Halfway, I stopped and turned back. "Is it mandatory? To, you know, go to the dance?"

"No, but I expect all of you to be there. Why do ask?"

"No reason. Thanks. Good night."

My wet clothes stuck to my body, giving me an uncomfortable feeling. The walk had never been so long.

Percy stood outside my cabin.

"Annabeth! What happened?"

"I slipped off the dock," I tell him, remembering my conversation with Chiron. "I'm really tired."

"Oh, okay. Can we talk later?"

"Sure," I sigh, groaning inwardly.

"Great."

Once inside, I took a shower and got in to fresh clothes, then collapsed onto my bed. Dreams of slimy hands haunted me as I fell into a heavy sleep.

… **Two Hours Later ….**

I woke up from my dream, startled. As the memories came flooding back, I ran my fingers through my hair. The hand, Percy's strange behavior, and the fact that girls are starting to like him… they all came swarming back.

Fixing my clothes, I left the cabin in search of Percy.

Finally I found him in the arena, slashing at dummies with Riptide. My throat tightened.

"Percy!"

Percy whipped around. His face visibly brightened when he saw me.

"Hey! Let's sit down."

He led me to the benches set up around the arena and we sat on opposite ends of one. After a few moments of awkward silence, Percy turned to me, serious. His steady gaze made me nervous, so I fiddled with the hem of my shirt.

"About the dance…"

"What about it?" I answered. All my anxiousness from the announcement that morning bubbled up.

"I was- Well… Uh. Do you have a date?"

"We've only known about it for like, four hours. I don't think anyone has had the chance to ask anyone."

"Right," he said, his confidence battered slightly, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

"Yeah. Is that all?"

"I guess…"

My stomach twisted in guilt. Here he was, trying to ask me to the dance, and I was being nasty. I started to apologize, but Percy was already turned away. In defeat, I left Percy to ravage the dummies.

"Hey, Annabeth," a clear voice spoke from behind me. I turned and saw Nick, a boy about my age from Apollo's cabin.

"Hey, Nick."

A crooked smile came onto his face. He had shaggy blonde hair, which was cut just above his clear blue eyes.

"Do have a date to the dance?"

Instantly, I thought about Percy, but he wasn't my date, and Nick was very cute...

"No, I don't."

The smile got bigger. "Would you like to go with me?"

"Sure," I said, feeling a smile forming on my own face.

"Great!"

I bit my lip as guilt grew in my stomach.

"Okay, well I'll see you later," I said awkwardly, and tried to resist running all the way to my second activity.

Had I betrayed Percy?


	4. Dresses

Disclaimer – I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

_So this story is kind of going slow… I haven't exactly worked out the details yet, so I'm still taking suggestions. Thank you lildm3 for that, uh, helpful comment. I was going to have the arrow wear off after the most romantic part of the story… Trust me I have at least one part of this book planned out, and just a hint, it kind off goes along with gab4eva89's suggestion. Oh, and there will be more action coming up after the dance. Thank you guys for all the reviews! It's so much help! Okay, this chapter is kind of short. It just expresses Annabeth's girly side. _

**DRESSES**

It was two days until the dance, and Silena in Aphrodite's cabin had 'offered' to help me find a dress.

"What about this one?" It was hot pink, with a pink faux fur around the edges, and every inch was covered in a ruffle. Silena held it up, shaking it a little until the ruffles swung.

"Absolutely not."

"Okay then… This one?" This one was white, with spaghetti straps. It would have been perfect, except that it ballooned out at the waist, making anyone wearing it look like a walking snowball.

"No."

"Fine. Here. Do you like this one?" She held it out for me to see it. The fabric was a soft silver-gray, with thin straps. It stopped at the knee. A thin silver ribbon that wrapped around the natural waist was the decoration. There were no ruffles, bows, sparkles or extra yards of fabric. "I love it!"

"Really? But, it's so… bland."

"I love it. Thank you so much, Silena."

"You're welcome," she said, pressing her lips together. "Want to see the dress I'm wearing?"

"Sure."

It was pretty, exactly something Silena would wear. The fabric was a soft, slippery purple with a sweetheart neckline and swirls of gems around the hem line. It was strapless and very form fitting.

"It's pretty," I said sincerely.

She smiled at me.

I went into the bathroom and tried on the silver dress. It fit like a glove. I adjusted some of the fabric then went back into the main room.

Silena put her hand to her mouth when she saw me.

"You. Look. Beautiful!"

I bit my lip and smiled.

"Okay, so come over here the night of the dance, and I'll do your hair and makeup."

A sigh escaped my lips. "Okay. But nothing over the top."

Silena beamed. "It won't be."

I said farewell and thanked her again, then left to go to my own cabin.

My sisters had laid their dresses on their beds. They were all blues and silvers and whites, and one pale yellow. When I put mine down onto my bed, they all told me it was beautiful. I beamed.

Who said Athena didn't care about looks?

…**Later That Day…..**

I went for the kill, pressing the end of the sword against my opponent's neck. Already I had stripped him off his sword, using the technique Luke had taught us back when Percy had arrived.

He put his hands up in surrender, dropping his shield. I put my sword down.

"Good job, Annabeth."

"Thanks."

Slowly, I walked over to the water cooler and got a cup of water. As I took a sip, I spotted Percy storming into the arena.

He stomped over to me.

"What the hell, Annabeth?"

"What?"

"Silena just told me you're going with Nick."

"So what?"

"We're going together!"

"You never asked me!"

"It was implied!"

"Gods, Percy! I'm going to go with Nick! He already asked me!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

He stalked out of the arena. Everyone was staring at me.

"What!"

They shook their heads and left me to my anger.


	5. Life Less Ordinary

Disclaimer – I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

_I edited this chapter and took out the song lyrics. If you want to listen to Life Less Ordinary, it's by Carbon Leaf. It's really a great song. Thank you for reading! _

**Life Less Ordinary**

I stood near the edge of the dance floor, waiting for Nick to bring us our drinks. He had left ten minutes ago, and hadn't come back.

My eyes settled on Percy, dancing with the girl from Aphrodite's cabin. She threw back her head and laughed at something Percy said. He had his hands on her waist, and one of her hands rested on his shoulder, the other cradled his head as they twirled.

Silena noticed I was standing alone, and skipped over to me.

"Where's Nick?"

"Getting us drinks," I said, tearing my eyes away from Percy.

"Oh. Want to dance?"

"Uh..."

"Come on," she urged, taking my hand with a dazzling smile. She took both of them and we spun around, our hair whipping around us. I laughed. Suddenly, she let go of my hands, and I stumbled backwards, tripping.

Two arms caught me, and I was staring up at Percy.

"Hi."

"Hi," I replied, breathless. He still held me, smiling and looking down at me. "Can you let me go?"

"Oh, sorry." He lifted me up and steadied me before letting me go.

"So, where's your... date?"

"Shannon? She's talking with Silena. Where's that dude you came with?"

"His name is Nick, and he's getting us drinks. He's really nice," I said, putting on a dazzling smile, not unlike the one Silena smiled.

"That's-"

"Hello, part-goers!" the DJ cried into the microphone. He was a satyr, believe it or not. "I have a special request, for Annabeth Chase. Where's Annabeth Chase?"

My eyes widened and I looked around for the culprit. Silena ran over to me and pushed me to the front of the crowd. Nick was there, standing with a girl I recognized from Hermes' cabin.

"There she is. This song is Life Less Ordinary. Here you go, Annabeth." He put a CD on and hit play.

Soft beats swelled over the crowd as couples melded together to spin across the dance floor. Soon I was lost in the chaos. Somehow, though, Percy found me.

He stared at me expectantly, waiting. My mouth opened and closed, trying to form words. It seemed like everyone was watching us, as if timed had slowed down.

"Percy, I don't know-"

"Annabeth. Just dance with me."

Hesitantly, I reached out. Our hands touched, and I ripped mine away. Percy stared at me, confused and hurt.

"Percy I'm sorry but..."

"But what Annabeth? I've tried and tried, and tried to convince you to go out with me, and each time you've turned me down. Do you know why I haven't given up?"

"Why?" I asked softly, inexplicably afraid of what was coming next.

"I LOVE YOU!"

Couples dancing by stared at us with wide eyes, and singles lingering around the edges gawked. But the music hadn't stopped, it's spell weaving in and out of the mass of bodies.

I stepped back, blushing. Percy stared at me hard.

Silena stepped forward us, but I had already taken off, running into the dark, away from the music and dance and Percy.

"Annabeth!" I heard someone call after me, but I didn't stop.

Dark trees covered me, cooing over me as I ran.


	6. Life Less Ordinary Part II

Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

_Hey. Sorry about the last chapter. I didn't feel like having Percy and Annabeth get together just yet. This is dedicated to ...tales who updated three times, and percyrocksmysoxs who updated five. Thanks! Okay, here's Life Less Ordinary Part II._

**Life Less Ordinary Part II**

I rested against a tree, letting the sound of wind rustling through the tree put me into a lull. Percy loved me? Oh my gods. That- that's terrible. Or is it? We've been through so much. I know I have certain feelings for him, but do I love him?

Blinking, I shook my head, vainly trying to rid myself of these confusing thoughts.

As the wind hugged me, I closed my eyes…

I was running quickly, toward a city of white marble. In the distance, a family stood silhouetted, simply black shadows against the light. My body was running. I was sure of that. Beads of sweat had dripped onto my brow. But I wasn't moving. In fact, the city and the family seemed to get farther away every second...

Percy appeared in front of me, his eyes hard, looking angry.

"I love you!" he yelled. It echoed through my head. _I love you... I love you..._

His body morphed into Luke's. The scar running down his face shimmered and disappeared, showing me what he used to look like, before the incident with the dragon. He smiled, and put out his hand. Now, I didn't hesitate. I put mine in his firm, warm hand, and he led me away from the white marble city.

"Where are we going?"

"To a place where we can have whatever we want," he told me. Luke's voice wasn't his, though. It was cold and hard, and it reminded me of darkness. Distantly, I felt myself falling into darkness, into a world of hate and despair...

**...**

A face looked down at me when I woke up. It was grinning horribly. I screamed, but he covered my mouth, kneeling next to me.

"Shhhh, Rosalie. We don't want them to find us," he whispered. I stared at him, horrified. His hand was still on my mouth.

"Okay, Rosalie. Here's what we have to do. I'll sneak around here, and you'll go that way," he continued, gesturing wildly into the deeper part of the woods.

"If I don't return, remember me, Rosalie."

He leaned in and kissed me. It was hard and long. The boy's lips were dry and cracked, like he had been outside for a year. His breath was sour. Then he jumped up and ran around the tree. I sat, stunned.

Slowly, I stood up and walked around the tree. He was crouched there, looking around and muttering to himself.

"Hello?" I asked nervously. A scream echoed through the woods as the boy sprang and tackled me to the ground. With his face inches away from mine, I could clearly see who it was. But before I could talk, he started.

"Where did you take her?" His voice was loud and harsh. When I didn't answer, he started to yell.

"WHERE DID YOU TAKE HER?"

"Alex! Calm down! It's me, Annabeth. Remember? I taught you how to sword fight!"

"WHERE DID YOU TAKE HER?"

There was something obviously wrong. Alex had always been quiet and sweet. I'd known him since he was eight, and I was ten. He had to get to Chiron, and quick.

I noticed that his face had a yellow tinge, and his eyes were bloodshot. As he spoke, his breath blew onto my face. It was revolting, hot and it smelled like clams and sulfur.

"Okay, I'll tell you where I took her. But you have to follow me, okay?"

He nodded, and got off me. Shakily, I stood up and took his hand. It was hot and clammy.

When we reached the mess hall, dancers near us stopped and watched, opened mouthed. The crowd parted as I led Alex through it and towards the table where Chiron sat. He stood up as we came near.

"Annabeth! What happened? Alex is back? Why didn't he come to me and Mr. D?"

"I found him in the woods," I said tersely, trying to tell Chiron something was wrong without actually saying it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Percy standing at the edge of the crowd, staring at me. A blush popped up onto my cheeks as I thought about his confession, and the kiss in the woods. But I kept my eyes on Chiron. I swallowed. "I think- I think he thought I was girl named Rosalie."

Chiron's face drained of color. "What did he say?"

I told him about Alex's fit in the woods.

Chiron straightened to his full height. "Let's go to the Big House. Annabeth, you'd better come with us."

He led us out of the mess hall and towards the Big House. Alex, walking next to me, was having some sort of fit. He twitched and hissed unintelligible things. The crowd whispered and stared, but split for Chiron. Alex's grip on my hand was crushing my bones.

"Where are you taking us? Don't hurt Rosalie. Take me, leave her," he hissed at Chiron. Chiron kept walking.

When we had reached the porch, Alex wouldn't go any further. Chiron had to pick him up and sling him over his back in order to get him inside, Alex thrashing and screaming. He laid the boy on a bed and put a cup of nectar to his lips. Alex drank greedily, like he hadn't drunk anything in months. Chiron watched him sadly as Alex fell into a fitful sleep.

"Chiron... What's wrong with him?"

"It's- It's complicated."

"I need to know."

He looked at me, studying me. Finally he sighed. "Fine. I shall tell you what Alex's quest was. Come here, child."

Chiron led me to the fireplace, where he started a fire. Then he started the tale of Alex's journey.

**...**

"Though you are well versed in the legends of old, I'm sure you haven't heard this story. Before Perseus brought the decapitated head of Medusa to Polydectes, he made a detour. As you know, Cupid has an arrow that can make people hate each other, and people love each other. Well, Perseus visited Neraudris, a nymph and daughter of Poseidon.

"Aphrodite was bored with the love lives of mortals, and decided begin a thrilling romance between Perseus and Neraudris. She shot Perseus with Cupid's arrow, and he fell in love with Neraudris. Now, Neraudris had been, ah, grounded by Poseidon, and was thrilled to have a handsome young demigod in love with her. They shared one night together, before the magic wore off and Perseus left her.

"She was devastated. Now that Kronos is rising to power, she has joined him. I believe she has convinced a few others to join him too, along with a few in this very camp. As you see, daughters of the sea god are affected differently by evil then we are. That is what attacked you in the lake that day. I sent Alex and Rosalie, a daughter of Apollo, to go and retrieve a gift I had given Neraudris. It can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

"I believe Neraudris has done something extremely wrong under the influence of Kronos. Unfortunately, I think it has affected Alex."

"And Rosalie?" I asked.

"I don't know. When he didn't contact me like I told him to, I simply believed he was having some trouble getting there. But now I know that it had gone terribly wrong."

I was shocked. This was never in the books. Since when had Aphrodite been quiet about a romance, especially one as... different as this one?

"Will he be okay?" I asked softly.

"I don't know. In order to have a cure, we'd have to know what the sickness is. We'll have to have someone go and investigate. I think that someone will have to be you. You know what it going on, you'd be the best candidate."

I nodded and stood up.

"Thank you, Chiron."

"Come by the Big House tomorrow after dinner. You have an audience with the oracle." I nodded gravely and got up to leave. Just before I left, Chiron said, "Oh, Annabeth? Did you enjoy the dance?"

I blushed.

"Yes, I did."


	7. The After Math

Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

_Just to clear it up: Neraudris is a nymph (daughter of Poseidon). Perseus was shot by a love arrow and fell in love with Neraudris, and Neraudris with him. When a nymph falls, she falls hard. She was devastated when he left her. Enjoy the story!_

**The After Math**

When I woke up, my mind was blank. With a groan, I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. They went wide when I remembered what happened last night. Quickly, I jumped out of bed.

All of my siblings were gone, so I guessed it was late in the morning. As I got ready, I thought about last night, and what Chiron told me. Perseus and Neraudris had had a one night stand... But that was never in the books. My old confusion came back to me. So when Cupid's arrow wore off, he just left her? That's rough for anyone.

Once I was dressed and ready, I went to the Aphrodite cabin to talk to Silena before my sword fighting class.

She was sitting on her bed, talking with her brother. A brush was in her hand and she slowly pulled it through her hair.

"Uh, hi, Silena."

"Hey, Annabeth. Brad, you can leave for a minute? You know, girl stuff," she asked him. He nodded and smiled as he walked by me. Outside, I could hear him calling a friend over. "So, what's up?" She patted the bed, and I sat down.

"Do you- Do you know about Perseus and Neraudris?"

Silena blanched, and looked away. Her eyes wouldn't meet mine as she said, "N-no, I haven't. Who's that?"

"A nymph who hooked up with Perseus. He was shot with Cupid's arrow."

"Oh, really? That's weird. I never heard of that before."

I studied her. She bit her bottom lip, fidgeted, and wouldn't look at me.

"Don't lie to me, Silena."

Silena sighed heavily, and looked at me. Sympathy swam in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. I do know."

"So it really happened," I asked, and she nodded. "Okay... So do you know what happened to her after he left her?"

"No. Mom only told us how much Neraudris loved him, and how sad it was to see him leave her. She really wanted Perseus to stay with her. Mom said, 'They made such a cute c-c-c-"

Suddenly, Silena burst into tears.

"What- Why are you crying?"

She looked up at me through her tears. "She told me not to tell you, Annabeth. But- but I have to. After what happened last night...," she choked out before breaking into a new sob.

"You mean with Alex?"

"N-n-no. P-p-p-percy. How he said he l-l-loved you."

My own face paled. "Silena, what are you talking about? What did Aphrodite tell you not to tell me?"

Silena gripped my hand. "Mom shot Percy with Cupid's arrow. He's in love with you now." She wiped her eyes delicately and cleared her throat. Once she had gained her composure, she continued talking. "Not that he hadn't already loved you. It's really obvious that he liked you."

I blushed and looked away, but I stood up. "It wears off, though, right? That's why Perseus left Neraudris. Because the arrow wore off."

Silena nodded and stood up. "The arrow only lasts one day and one night. But sometimes it just maximizes feelings they already had. If that happens, then it really never goes away. Sure, it wears off, but if they already loved whoever it was, the feelings are a little more apparent after the arrow."

"Thanks, Silena," I said, giving her a small smile. "I'm going to talk to Percy."

"Okay. Good luck."

**...**

He was sitting on the dock, his feet dangling in the lake. I stood behind him, contemplating whether or not to say something. Before I could make up my mind, he turned around and looked at me. His green eyes were normal and calm. I sat down next to him.

"Hey, wise girl," he greeted me. It was like last night never happened. _The feelings are a little more apparent after the arrow. _He didn't seem like he liked me, or even loved me. I was just Annabeth, the best friend.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain."

We sat there for a while, staring at the lake. After awhile, I became absorbed in my thoughts.

I had an audience with the oracle, which meant I would be the one to find Neraudris. Alex flashed in my mind, with his wild eyes and rancid breath. Would that be me? I glanced over at Percy. Surely Chiron would send Percy with me. He had already been on several quests.

I realized that Percy was staring at me, and glanced sidelong at him. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied. But he still watched me. . It made me feel like I was under a microscope, every move being plotted and wrote down in detail.

Percy put out his hand, and I froze. His fingers brushed my cheeks as he put a strand of hair behind my ear, leaning in closer every moment. Soon, he was kissing me. Butterflies exploded in my stomach, and a warm tingling feeling expanded to every inch of my body. His hand was on the side of my face, holding my steady.

This was too much. Wasn't the arrow supposed to wear off? I recalled something Selena had said; _it's really obvious that he liked you. _

I jumped up. Percy stared up at me, his hand dropped to his side. Hurt punctured his gaze, and I couldn't see anything through my embarrassment, happiness and tears.

"I- I have to go. Sword lesson," I muttered, and ran off. A piece of wood jutted up from the dock, and I stumbled. I didn't stop running until I reached the arena. I leaned against the cool stone and caught my breath.

This couldn't be happening. Percy hadn't kissed me, he hadn't said he loved me, and he had never been hit with the arrow.

Anger at Aphrodite coursed through me. She was meddling, obnoxious goddess, fooling around in people's lives like this. I spun into the arena and buried myself in swordplay.

**...That Night...**

Soon enough, it was dinner. It's funny, actually. In all the movies, this happens to the girl, and she ends up happy. Yet, I wasn't happy. I was confused, embarrassed, nervous, and mad. But I wasn't happy. I wonder; if I had kissed him back instead of running away, would I have been happy?

The nymphs gave me a chicken salad, with pasta on the side. My appetite was ruined, though, when I saw Percy staring at me from across the tables.

When it was time to sacrifice part of our meal, I did my best to stay away from him. Avoiding him would only be a Band-Aid on the subject, but it would work until I got the courage to talk to him. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that was days off.

Chiron stood up to speak. I was happy for the distraction from Percy's piercing stare.

"Another great day has passed, and another will great us tomorrow. Alex has yet to heal, for all the worried minds. We are still miles away from curing him, but we have made a plan.

"Time to rest your minds, children. Dinner is dismissed."

The noise erupted as kids stood up and made their way to their cabins.

I left my plate on the table and headed toward the Big House for my audience with the oracle.. Chiron and Mr. D sat on the porch, drinking diet Cokes.

"Ah, Annabeth. Here you are. The oracle waits for you."

Nervousness ate at me. The oracle was notoriously creepy, and every instinct in my body was screaming to run in the other direction.

The attic was dusty and smelled of mothballs. Slowly, I treaded through the artifacts, taking time to study each interesting thing. Soon, I came upon something that made me smile. I picked it up and fingered it. The soft fabric rippled through my fingers. Aphrodite's scarf. A strange feeling entered my body, similar to the feeling I had when I had kissed Percy at the volcano, and when he had kissed me early that day. A voice sounded through the fogginess of my mind, and I quickly dropped the scarf.

_Girl._

Time to talk to the oracle.

She sat on the stool in her dress. I cleared my throat.

"Please tell me my destiny."

Green smoke surrounded me, and it morphed into Luke. My heart ached when I saw him, even if he was green.

_Three demigods shall go south to the corrupted mind. _The voice was thin and slippery. The smoke transformed into my father. He smiled.

_Defeat the corrupted one or face sickness undefined._

My father's body turned to the one of Athena's.

_Relieve it of the cure, and bring it back to the camp of the half-gods._

I took a sharp breath and sneezed, nearly missing what it said as Athena morphed into Percy.

_True love and friends shall welcome you back with much applauds._

I coughed and watched the smoke as it was sucked back into the mummy.

Chiron and Mr. D were inside, playing pinochle by the fire. When I Chiron saw me, he smiled and gestured me over. Mr. D, of course, ignored me completely.

"What did she say?"

I told him the first three lines, leaving out the last one. He studied me.

"Here are three plane tickets. Pick your accomplices by tomorrow. The plane leaves at three. Argus will drive you."

I nodded and went to my cabin.

Exhausted, I collapsed onto my bed.


	8. Florida

Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

**Florida**

Well, here I was. Flying smoothly over the east coast, about 20,000 feet above the ground, bracing myself for my first quest without Percy.

Percy.

My body ached as I thought about him. The last time I had spoken to him was on the dock. He didn't know I was leaving. Silena and Nick were going with me instead. I just couldn't bring myself to ask him to come with me, at least, not until the dumb arrow wore off.

A small part of my brain told me that it wasn't the arrow that had made him do what he had done, but it was dominated by the more comfortable thought that it was the arrow's fault. Hopefully, the arrow would have worn off by the time we got back, which I guessed would be in a week, give or take a day or two.

Stupid Aphrodite. Couldn't she see that we were fine on our own? Sure, we were going slowly, but there was still the time I had kissed him...

Whatever. I turned to Nick, and started to ask him if he had any good fighting techniques. My mouth froze when I saw them.

Silena and Nick were going at it, tongues and all. Horrified, I watched him slowly roam her back, his hands slipping up her shirt.

My mind whipped out of its trance, and I started to thinking about what I could do.

I didn't like Nick anymore than I liked Grover, but... He had asked me to the dance, right? If he didn't like me, than why did he ask me?

Suddenly, it dawned on me. Nick liked Silena, always had. He had asked me to the dance because he knew I was friends with Silena.

I found that I didn't really care. Nick was a nice guy, but I didn't like him. In hindsight, I'm sure I would've done the same. The boy that was sitting near the window quirked an eyebrow, glancing from me to the couple. I glared at him.

The plane landed, and we slipped away from the guards, putting up a glamour.

Silena came over to me after the flight.

She grasped my hands and smiled apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Annabeth. I don't know what came over me. He just started kissing me, so I went along. It was truly monstrous of me, considering how he asked you to the dance."

When this girl apologized, she didn't slack. It seemed that Aphrodite was also the goddess of guilt-tripping apologies. I shook my head.

"I don't like him. You can have him."

Silena beamed and squeezed my hands. "Oh thank you so much, Annabeth! You are _such _a good friend!"

Before I could stop her, she leaned over and kissed my cheek, like I was her best girlfriend. A sarcastic laugh escaped my mouth, and I quickly covered it up with a cough.

"Yeah, don't do that," I suggested.

She was too busy glowing and beaming to notice my grumpiness.

Florida was different than New York. It was sunny and dotted with thirty foot tall palm trees. Nick and Silena held hands as we walked out of the airport (we had no luggage) and down the street.

After about an hour of walking, we reached the beach. The blue water stretched out as far as I could see, twinkling in the sunlight. The sand was warm, and was covered in sunbathers.

"Okay, so I heard a rumor that a nymph palace was located in the Gulf of Mexico," I told Silena and Nick.

This is what I needed Percy for. He could breathe underwater. He could tell the sharks not to tear us limb from limb. I quickly shoved the thought away. First we had to solve the problem with breathing. I glanced up. The sun was dipping into the water, painting the surface of the water with golden light. It was too late to do anything about it now.

Across the street, I spotted a motel. I gestured to it.

It was short and squat, covering at least five hundred square feet with different buildings. One stood at the front, a parking lot out in front of it. A few cars littered it, but it was empty.

Twilight loomed over us by the time we got to the door.

I opened the door, and cool air washed over me. A young girl sat at the reception desk, chomping on a piece of gum and reading a magazine.

"Hello?"

"Yeah?"

"We'd like a room."

"Sure. You have to pay for it, you know," she said, eyeing us condescendingly.

The cost of one night was cheap, fifty dollars for one night in a room with twin beds.

"Here," I say, laying the money out in front of her. She eyed it greedily, and counted the bills.

"All set," she said, putting the money into a cash register. "Here's your key. Your room is number 6."

She handed me a square card, while eying Nick uncertainly. The poor girl must think that one of us (or both) was going to hook up with the son of Apollo. Maybe one of would.

I smiled at her, and we left to find our room.

It was spooky, actually. The empty buildings leered over us, daring us to keep walking and see what would happen.

Number six was near the woods. Probably not the best spot for three demigods. It would have to do, though.

A man stood outside our room, fiddling with something that resembled a kazoo. He looked like Percy. Black hair was cut short into a buzz cut, and he had deep sea green eyes. He looked like he just stepped out of the army. Huge muscles bulged under a pastel button up decorated with little mermaids.

He looked up and smiled at me. I looked down at the ground.

As we walked toward the room, he stuffed the kazoo into the back pocket of his jeans.

"Hello, kids." The voice was similar to Poseidon's; loud and powerful, but with a hint of compassion underneath.

"Uh, hi," Nick said nervously, eyeing the man's huge arms.

"You staying the night?"

"Yes, we are," Silena said, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

Nick looked bewildered as he looked from Silena to the man, who was staring at me steadily.

"May I have a word?" he asked.

"Uh, actually I-"

The man grabbed me by the elbow and dragged me away from the other two. Fear overpowered any other feelings, or rational thoughts, that I had.

"What do you want?" I asked harshly, ripping my arm out of his grasp and gripping my dagger.

He studied me.

My thoughts raced. This man had a freakish resemblance to Percy, so they must be related... It's not Poseidon...

"Triton?"

Triton smiled.

"The one and only. I have a message for you. You're Annabeth Chase, right?"

I nodded. "Who's it from?"

"Uh, Percy Jackson."

I blanched. Why was Percy sending me a message? Why didn't he just use an Iris message? "Oh, okay. Thank you."

He gave me a slip of paper. With a smile, he took out the kazoo and blew into it. It morphed into a giant conch shell. Triton had disappeared before the sound had faded.

I took a deep breath.

_Try eating a hermit crab. It might help you breathe a little._

I thought about it. Breathe a little... He must have realized that we needed someway to breathe underwater. Thank the gods for Percy. I swallowed and walked into our room, where Nick was pulling the futon in a bed.

I ripped the note into tiny pieces and tossed them into the rubbish bin.

"Okay, let's get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."

**...The Next Day...**

"Silena, you have to do it."

"No. I won't."

"Just pop it into your mouth and chew. It doesn't even taste like anything."

"Can't we like, roast it or something?"

"You don't roast a hermit crab," I sighed.

Silena refused to even touch the hermit crab, much less eat it.

"If you don't eat it, you'll drown," Nick said from where he was tanning.

"I know that!"

"Then eat it."

"No! There has to be another way."

"None that we know of."

She let out a huge sigh. "Fine. I'll do it."

Daintily, she placed the hermit crab on her tongue and pinched her nose. Slowly, she closed her mouth and chewed. A disgusted look came onto her face, which then turned green.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded and swallowed.

"That... was the worst- tasting thing... ever!"

I patted her back as she gulped out of her water bottle, trying to get rid of the taste.

"I thought it was delicious," Nick volunteered.

"Yuck. I'm never eating crab meat again."

Once she had gotten the taste out of her mouth, we pulled Nick off of the beach.

"Ready?"

They nodded nervously.

Tentatively, we stepped into the water. We took another step, then another. Gradually, the water engulfed our heads.

I held my breath at first. My lungs ached. They were going to burst- I took a deep breath. Water slipped into my mouth and down my throat. I was going to drown.


	9. The Corrupted One

Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  
_I dedicate this chapter to all the people out there that reviewed. Thanks for all the help on this story, all the suggestions that built it into what it is now. _

**The Corrupted One  
**  
_I_ _held my breath at first. My lungs ached. They were going to burst- I took a deep breathe. Water slipped into my mouth and down my throat. I was going to drown._

The water slid over my tongue and into my throat. I thrashed, expecting this to be the last moment of my life. Had Percy lied to us? He'd better not of. If he had, I'd kill him, assuming I survived.

As the water entered my lungs, something strange happened. A wonderful but horrible feeling sent tingles through my body, from the inside out. It felt as if I had slammed my funny bone on cement, only in my lungs.

Then I was breathing air. Regular, plain, sweet oxygen. When I let it out, bubbles exploded through my mouth. I experimented, breathing in and out. Each time I did, a mild tingling vibrated through my cells. It wasn't as strong as the first time, and with each intake of breath, the tingling got milder and milder until I couldn't feel it at all.

I sighed with relief. Silena, next to me, grinned and put up two thumbs. Something inside me realized I couldn't talk, so I returned the gesture. Nick floated past, eyes shut, hands behind his head. He cracked a grin without opening his eyes.

We spent a minute cherishing this gift. Silena laughed, and did endless flips. It was like we were in zero gravity. I swam down and touched the sandy shore. Hermit crabs scuttled away from my hand like it was the plague. Laughing for what seemed like the first time in ages, I swam up.

The joyous moment was over, though, when we remembered the haunting quest that shadowed us. Our smiles disappeared.

Silena pressed her lips together and shrugged. I nodded, and Nick gave a small smile. She led the way through the clear water.

The water was warm. I saw my hair floating eerily around my face and smiled. People always looked beautiful under water.

I didn't know how long we swam for. All I knew was the ache that echoed through my legs.

Finally, we reached something that could, if you looked at it a certain way, resemble a palace.

The palace wasn't that far into the ocean, but deep enough that we had to swim a reasonable amount to get to the front door.

It must've been grand at one time, made of shining white stone. But now it was half-ruined, one side collapsed. Seaweed climbed up the side and fish swam in and out of the gaps. Spiky water flowers grew under one of the windows.

Nick crept up to it. He stretched his hand out hesitantly- and snatched it back, cradling it.

"It bit me!" he said, offended. Then he realized what he had just done. Shock distorted his face. "I can talk," he said softly. He grinned. "I can talk! Silena, Annabeth! Say something!"

Silena opened her mouth, but only bubbles came out; no sound. She knit her eyebrows together.

It must've been the plant. That's how she talked with Perseus, I realized. I reached out my hand.

Two sharp points pricked my finger on each side.

"Ouch," I said, pulling my hand away. My voice sounded strange, bubbly somehow.

We looked at Silena expectantly.

She glared at us, arms folded, biting her lip.

"Silena," Nick said, gesturing toward the plant. Silena huffed and furrowed her eyebrows, but unfolded her arms. She daintily touched the plant and yelped.

"See what you guys did?" she cried, hold her finger out for us to examine her finger. I sighed. "Nick, go up ahead and find somewhere we can get in."

He grinned and nodded. Swimming up to one of the higher windows, he peered in. "No one's in here. Let's go into this one." Nick yanked away some seaweed until the window was clear. "All set."

"Ladies first," he remarked, helping Silena in. He offered me a hand. I ignored it and swam into the empty room.

Once I was in, I observed my surroundings. The back of a well made bed sat on the wall on my left. A small bedside table was next to it. It was decorated with seashells, pearls and smelled distinctly of ocean. The white stone had wave patterns carved into the top and bottom of the walls. It was a beautiful room, but something was strange, like no one had lived here for years.

The door was open, and I could see the white walls of the hallway. I could also see the petite figure making its way down the carpeted floor.

I grabbed Silena and pulled to the floor behind the bed. Nick hid in the closet.  
The person entered. She was wearing nothing but a ripped cream slip, and her long brown hair hung lank around her waist.

Her nose was long and straight and her eyes a bright green. She had strange, delicate beauty about her, like if you touched her she would collapse.

This must be Neraudris, I thought. I couldn't understand why Perseus left. She was beautiful.

Humming a tune, she took out a feather duster and dusted the surfaces until they sparkled. She came around the bed to fix a pillow, and I pulled Silena under the bed. Her eyes were wide.

"She doesn't seem evil," she whispered. I put a finger to my mouth, but nodded.  
Listening as the footsteps rounded the room, they stopped right next to the bed. My heart beat got louder and louder until I was sure she would here us.

But to my surprise, the footsteps faded away, back into the hall way. I let the brethe which I had been holding out. Slowly, I pulled my hand away from Silena's mouth. Together we crawled out from under the bed.

Nick came out of the closet, perspiration making his face glisten.

As I looked around at us, I realized that something was wrong. Our hair, which outside the house had been floating around our head, now clung to our foreheads.

"Uh, is there any water in here?" I ask in a whisper. Silena, noticing our hair for the first time, was the first to reply.

"No, I don't think so."

"But why?" Nick asked, confused. I think I already knew.


	10. Caught

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **

**Caught**

I was tied to a chair.

Nick and Selina were tied to chairs, too.

Neraudris circled us with her feather duster, viciously questioning us. I answered each one calmly.

How did we get tied up in chairs? Because of Nick. When we were sneaking down the stairs he tripped and fell, yelling and hollering the whole way.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"For advice," I answered simply.

"What advice?"

"About love."

"Love? What do you mean?"

"My friend was shot with Cupid's arrow, and now he's fallen in love with me." I had decided it was best to stay as close to the truth as possible.

"Did Aphrodite shoot it?"

I nod. Neraudris whips away from us, and I can hear her muttering. Selina looked at me questioningly. I didn't supply an answer.

Neraudris turned back around.

"Leave him. Never talk to him again. It'll only bring you heartache."

"Thank you, ma'am. But, what if he already broke my heart?" I asked, trying to muster up a devastated but curious look.

Her face softened. "Oh, sweetie. Did he dump you?"

I nodded, and tried to look broken hearted. _Dead puppies, dead puppies, dead puppies. _

"When I was dumped," Neraudris sniffed, "my heart was broken. I thought I would never get over him. I keep my house in tip-top shape in case he returns for me... But then someone offered me a deal… it helped me." She cocked her head and studied me. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"You may be young, but I'm sure he won't mind. He needs all the help he can get," she whispered mischievously.

"Really! Oh, do tell me!"

Nick snorted in the seat beside me, and I kicked him.

Neraudris ignored him, and looked around suspiciously. When she was satisfied that no one can hear her, she leaned close to me. "Kronos."

The name sent shivers through my body, but I plastered a hopeful look on my face. "Kronos! That's wonderful! But what do I have to do? Should I give him anything?"

"Well, when I was accepted," Neraudris said, straightening. "I showed him a gift that a friend gave me. He was thrilled! He told me that he would take me in, and no one would ever leave me."

"What was the gift? You know, so I have an idea," I added quickly.

"The pearls of Delphi," she saaid smugly.

"The pearls of Delphi…?" I racked my memory for any mention of them, but nothing came up.

"Yes."

"What are they?"

"They allow you to see into the future," she whispered.

I sit stunned. My plan had worked, but I never knew that there was something that allowed anyone other than the Oracle to see the future.

"I don't believe you," Nick said bravely. Selina and I shushed him furiously, but the damage was done.

Neraudris's face twisted with rage. "_What?_" she screeched.

"I... I don't… uh, um- believe you?"

"What he means is, that, uh, he can't believe that there is something so powerful," Selina offered, trying to attempt damage control.

Neraudris's face calmed slightly. "Yes, there is. And I have it. Hah! If Perseus knew how powerful I have become, I bet he never would've left me" It seems like she forgot that we were there.

"Can we see them?" I inquired, trying to pull the attention back to us.

"Well… I don't know…"

"But, we're going to be joining you anyways, so what does it matter?"

"Yes, you're right. I'll be right back. Don't go away!"

"Like we can," Nick muttered.

Neraudris clicked past us, and as soon as she was out of the room, I started to wrestle with my bindings.

I needed to get them off by the time she gets back.

One hand slipped out of the ropes, and I pull the ropes of the other. Luckily, Nick and Selina caught on, and also pulled their hands out of the loosely tied bindings.

"Don't move hands from behind your back. Follow my lead," I hiss as Neraudris's clicking and a faint buzzing sound announced her arrival.

"Okay! I have them! Don't touch them, though. They can be dangerous to mortals."

She positions herself in front of me. In her hands she held one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

The pearls were strung on a simple strand, meant to be a loose necklace. They were gold and silver, the colors constantly swirling together. A faint multicolored glow surrounded each separate pearl, like the Northern lights. There was an almost electric charge radiating off of them, which was the source of the buzzing.

"They're beautiful," Selina whispers.

I shake myself out of the trance I was being held in. I whisper under my breath, "Ready…"

Tensing my body, I wait for the right moment. As she was chattering away about how great Kronos is, I attacked.

"GO!"

I launched myself out of my chair and onto Neraudris, knocking me and her to the ground.


	11. Hell Isn't That Far Away

**Hell Isn't That Far Away**

As soon as the pearls touch my skin, I feel a jolt of pain vibrate down my spine and every bone in my body. It was like being struck by lightning while thousands of knives stabbed me.

I gasped and rolled off of her.

The room was swirling in patterns at a dizzying rate. Even though I had released the pearls, the searing pain still had me in its grasp, not loosening its hold on me.

Visions dance across my eyes like a slide show.

Percy, with wings sprouting out his back, blood dripping off of the white feathers, staining the barren ground beneath him. Chiron, with an arrow through his heart, rearing in pain, his face contorted in a gruesome scream. Camp Half-Blood, burning to the ground, black figures flinging themselves out of the flames, only to be engulfed again. Kronos's hand on Percy's shoulder, looking over a dark, violent world, Percy's face dark and sadistic.

As the scenes flash before my eyes, I hear screaming. Dimly, I'm aware that it's me.

I can't tell time, or understand my surroundings. In my mind, I'm back in time, when I first saw Percy.

Arms wrap around me, and I thrash and scream, trying to get out of the Titan's grip. Kronos grins horribly down at me, and I hear his frightening voice, saying, "Shhhhh, Annabeth, it's just me."  
His face melts away to reveal Percy's face. Slowly, I stop screaming and writhing, and reach out and touch his face. It's unusually soft. "I love you, Percy."

Spasms of pain surge through me, and I hear the screaming again, like a knife against chalkboard.

Black gradually consumes my mind, sending me into a place overflowing with horrible nightmares of a hellish place.


	12. Escape

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

**Escape**

When I woke up, I was propped up against a cold, stone wall, a wooden spoon in my mouth.

The room spun around me. A groan escaped me.

Movement. Silena hurried over a pulled the spoon out of my mouth. "Oh, Annabeth! Are you okay?"

I closed my eyes and nodded. "I think so. What happened?"

Concern filled her eyes and she said, "When you tackled Neraudris, you must've touched the pearls." She shook her head. "Neraudris said they can be fatal to mortals. You're lucky you aren't dead."

Remembering my visions, I shivered. "Are the pearls safe?"

Silena nodded. "Yeah. I found an oven mitt in one of the drawers and put them in that. Annabeth, really, are you okay? You were having some sort of fit."

"Is that what the spoon was for?" I asked, sitting. My stomach lurched and I held my head.

"Yes." She stood and walked over to the center of the room. I looked up and saw a squirming form in a chair, one of the ones we had abandoned. Nick was slumped against the opposite wall, unconscious.

Shakily, I stood and joined Silena next to Neraudris. She glared up at me. A gag was wrapped around her mouth, her hands and feet tied. I raised an eyebrow at Silena. "Did you do this?" I asked, impressed.

She beamed. "I used some seaweed from on those windows. It's really strong."

I nodded. Neraudris stopped thrashing as I pulled the gag out. She spat out the last of the seaweed and glared. "You tricky liars! I shouldn't have ever let you into my house! Just like the last ones! Tricky, tricky demigods…"

"The other ones," I repeated. "Alex and Rosalie. What did you do, Neraudris? What did you do to Alex?"

She cackled. "I didn't do anything to the boy. Men." She spat. "They take, take, take. All they do is take. That one tried to take my pearls. My pearls! My gift! But he got his, yes, he did."

"What did you do to him?"

"I made him eat it!"

Silena spun Neraudras around to face her. "What did you do to Alex, you crazy-"

"_Silena_," I warned. I kneeled in front of Neraurdris and looked into her wild green eyes. "Listen to me. You need to tell me what you had Alex eat."

Her eyes locked on a cupboard above Silena's head. I got up and opened it. Sitting alone on the shelf was a thriving, squirming squid, one of the tentacles missing. It stank of clams and sulfur.

I shivered. "Silena, come look at this."

Silena joined me. "Ew, what is that?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it made Alex very sick." I left Silena with the squid and searched for something to keep it in. Finally, I found a purple purse in the bottom of one of drawers. Pulling off my sweatshirt, I picked the squid up inside it and dropped both of them into the purse. I zipped it up and slung it over my shoulder. "Chiron will be able to make a cure out of this." I turned back to Neraudris. She watched me with her teeth bared.

There was a loud crash from the next room. Silena and I frowned at each other, and I ran to investigate. Silena stayed behind to watch Neraurdris. Gagged and bound in the next room over was a dirty, bedraggled girl I recognized.

"Roaslie?" I gasped. Her bright eyes met mine, and she started trying to speak through her gag. I quickly cut it and let it fall.

"What are you doing here?" she croaked, staring at me wide-eyed. "Is Alex okay?"

"Alex is fine, he's at camp. Chiron sent us to get the cure and find you," I said, working on her bindings. "How long have you been here?"

She coughed. "Two weeks. Your sure Alex is okay?"

"Yes, fine. Come on." I help her to her feet and lead her into the next room. Silena had woken up Nick who was sheepishly avoiding looking at Silena. Silena just looked annoyed.

Before we left, I turned back to Neraudris. She sat defeated in her chair, her brown hair hiding her face. Something broke inside me at the sight of her.

"Do you really love Perseus that much?" I asked softly.

Her face fell, then twisted. "He left me. He was so kind to me, so very kind. I've never met anyone as kind as him. He said he would love me forever. Then he left." Neraudris' eyes lit up. "But one day, he'll come back. I make sure the house is in perfect condition for him. I even asked my father to keep the water out of here so Perseus will be able to live with me." She looked me full in the face, and for a second I could see who she was before the insanity set it. "Do you think he'll come back?"

Looking at her, my heart broke. I felt her sorrow as clearly as if it were mine. This is what love can do to you. "I think the way you're going about this is wrong. I don't think the one you are serving will help you. I think you should return to your father and sisters. They'll understand," I told her.

For a moment, her eyes cleared and she smiled. "Thank you."

Nick, Silena, Rosalie and I left the house. As soon as we did, the water hit us like a wall. I sucked it in greedily, trying to get used to the tingling in my lungs.

Rosalie, however, was having problems. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were puffed out with air. Silently, I curse myself for not thinking ahead. Swiftly, Silena swam to the sandy ocean floor and deftly snatched up a hermit crab. She yanked the juicy body out of its shell and pushed it into Rosalie's mouth.

After a moment, Rosalie relaxed and took a breath. She nodded her head to Rosalie in thanks.

We continued swimming the way we had come. As we swam, Silena frowned and looked at me. She held the oven mitt with the pearls tightly in her hand. "Do you think Kronos will realize we took the pearls?"

I grit my teeth. "Let's hope not."

_Only one chapter left after this one. Stay tuned!_


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